FARMING FACTS AND FANCIES.

North Otago Times, 26 January 1906, Page 4

FARMING FACTS AND FANCIES.

During the holidays took » run up the Manawatii country and found his farmer friends very well satisfied with the present season. So. ifar the'milk yield had been good and 'the beat prices are obtained on the Home market. \1 mild winter was followed by a good spring wliioli in turn gave way to a showery summer and so tlie pastures are in such splendid condition that unless the latter part, of tho Bummer is hot and dry a record season should be the result.

With regard to the. resignation of Mr J, A. Gilruth, Government Veteriiimrian, it is understood the Cabinet lias declined to agree to-suggestions made by Mr Gilruth. The MinistryIcannot see. its way to the separation of jtho Administeration of tho Stock Department from the Agricultural Department, aud Mr Gilruth has been jinformed to this effect. Several minor /alterations have keen conceded to him*, tout his principle proposal has been jdeclined, He has been given the option iof reconsidering his resignation.

A 1 leading Home agricultural journal in dealing with winter feeding of cattle 011 swedes and straw, states that manuro made from such food only is not nearly so. ri.cli and fertilising as when corn and other foods have been used. The swede or turnip is- known to possess great nuritive properties, tut, is more conducive to putting beef on the beast than most other natural foods available ac same season.

Riverton "Star" says that quite a number of gooseberry trees are dying (n parts of that district. In South Riverton alone more than half the treea have shed their leaves, and the berries are withered. The supposed case is said to be a fungoid growth under the leaves of the-tree, . .

The re-handling of'ensilage when it is being fed to stock is often looked on as a serious drawback to the making of it, but, as 110 great amount of material lias to be moved at one time, tlio handling should be no great detriment, It is also considered a great merit in favour of maize ensilage that it will keep good in a stack or silo for several years.

"He sold me 60 dozen rotten eggs and ruined my name and reputation." complained a defendent at the Auckland Magistrate's Court on Thursday. "Was it about election time?" queried the : Magistrate. "Oil, no," replied the defendant. "I thought there' would be a demand for rotten eggs at election time," said his Worship. "They were all bad," said the defendant. "Tlicy had been in the incubator. Tlioy weren't oggs at all, they were poultry."

The secretary of tlio. Awahuri Cooperative Dairy Company has received word that tlio butter manufactured by the company lias realised 116s pet* cwt, in the London markot..

A monster petition is going forward to the United States Government from farmers in that country protesting that the rate of interest on farm loans is uniformly too high, and requesting that in the ordinary course of operations of tho Department of Agriculture the subject of farm loans receive exhaustive investigation, :

On the land question tho Premier considers the new House is evenly divided in regard to the leasehold and freehold, His own polioy (ho declared) had been definite fronv the first, He stood for the maintenance of tho optional system—the leaae-iu-porpetui-ty, which would have to ho made subject to periodic revaluation; lease with a right of purchase; and sales for cash. People living in South Islund

who did not know the character of some of the poor lauds in North Islam! could not appreciate all the difficulties that beset the tenure problem. Somo land north of Auckland was not worth a shilling per acre in its virgin state, and when a mail had wrestled with it for ten or twelve years and managed to give it a fixed value, lie' naturally felt that he should have some closer interest in his holding than was given to tho man 'who drew ail improved farm under the Land for Settlements .Act, The case of tho latter ought, in fairness, to remain with all the foreo and sacredness of a contract. But tlio Crown toiinnt must be made perfectly safe and-comfortable, and must be given every incentive to make the very beat use of his land. He could net he given the freehold, having taken up his land under a totally different tenure, but conditions of lease could lio modified, and lis might, perhaps, be allowed to pay off part- of the capital valne on equitable .terms. These, however, wore all questions the new Parliament would Jiave to consider.

The oat crops in the Sandon district are looking very well: this season at present, but fears are entertained that the disease that was so disastrous two years ago will again affect them.

The progress of the Dalefield Dairy Company is shown by the fact that the last monthly payment for milk had increased to £1157 6s 7d.

Surprising results have been obtained in Montana, Kansas, Colorado and Nebraska by the methods of "dry farming," in which deep soil culture is combined with the use of grains; and other plants that have become inured to semi-desert conditions, and are able to thrive with relatively very little moisture. The Department of Agriculture has obtained the seeds of many such plants from the arid regions of central Asia) where ancient civilisations flourished. These plants grow luxuriantly on dry lands, and it is believed that many millions of acres may be reclaimed with their aid. * t . t •

Labour is very scarce in the country, Bays the Hawera "Star."- •• Milkers are wanted in almost every ■ locality, and farmers all round are wondering how they are going/to get in their winter feed in the shape of ensilage and hay. And yet we hear of unemployed.

Some flocks of lambs in the Maaterton district are badly infected with ticks this year. Strange to say on big sheep in the same Hooks but few are to be found. A' farmer informed a' Wairarapa "Age" reporter that ho wr never seen ticks so numerous in lambs before in the district.

• The readiness with which Jersey cattle come into season during the winter months is ono of the greatest recommendations," says a Home authority. 'With Shorthorns theflo is often a very great difficulty in getting them to take the bull during the- dead of winter The Jersey coming in season (Hiring this dead time of the year fills U P a. blank, and those who have good new iimlched ones to spare at ; this time,are pretty certain (o roap great benefit, No matter how severe the weather may he, the newly, calved Jwsey, if properly cared for, will take tho, bull as readily; in, .the winter/months as.tlie summer.- ' ..

."Can any of-our poultry farmers beat' this record?" asks the "Waimato Witness. : Mr W. Luscombe,. senr., of

Jvapum, has a duck which Inade her nest' away from the fowl yard, The duck -hatched" the - eggs' and-marched homejthe other day with twenty duckbrood is coming on splendidly and bo ffli* all of'tho ducklings org alive,